Via Change.org – Prisons in California, Florida, and Connecticut are training prisoners to become local farmers. According to the article; this can lead to potential savings by the states:
In Florida, during the first quarter of 2010 alone, the prison farming program saved taxpayers $60,000
But more importantly this is a great opportunity for ex-offenders to gain valuable, usable skills as once they reenter society. According to a 2008 report by the New York Bar Association’s Task Force on Employment Opportunities for the Previously Incarcerated, one year after leaving prison, 60 percent of formerly incarcerated people are unemployed. Urban farms are becoming more common in cities and these farms will require skilled laborers.
